Distinguished Alumni

Abigail Morse Hall Goes Back to Its Roots

Completely renovated and ready to be home to another century of students

At the end of the summer, renovations on Abigail Morse Hall were completed and students were able to once again live in this iconic campus treasure. The hall is named for one of Emporia State’s historic educators. In the late 1800s, Abigail Morse served as an instructor and a preceptress (dean of women) for the then-named Kansas State Normal School. The hall was dedicated in her honor in 1923, one year before it opened. This renovation project both modernized the building, with updates like new HVAC and Wi-Fi, and brought it back to its origins. It is once again a stand-alone structure, with many nods to the architectural themes and elements of its original 1920s design. The layout is also a return to the original. Although some things that were a must-have for the students of 1924, like a trunk room or phone booths, are no longer necessary and have been repurposed, much of the space is now exactly as it was when it first opened its doors to students.

Restoring Abigail brought to fruition the second phase of Emporia State’s residence hall master plan. The vision behind this renovation was to meet the housing needs of our students, transform the landscape of campus west of Wooster Lake and preserve our campus history. Cass Coughlin, director of Residential Life, said of the hall, “It’s had a very personal connection for a lot of people. So many generations of alumni formed lifelong friendships in their time here, and those memories are a part of this place.” Emporia State is excited for the next generation of ESU students to form their own lifelong friendships in Abigail Morse Hall.